Martin Prado making his presence felt early with D-backs

It didn’t take long for fans of the Arizona Diamondbacks to get a taste of what kind of player Martin Prado is.

In the first inning of the D-backs’ Cactus League opener last Saturday against the Colorado Rockies, Willie Bloomquist led off the inning with a double to right field. Gerardo Parra followed with a ground ball to the right side to advance Bloomquist to third base with one out.

Prado, hitting third, did what he’s known for — the little things. With the infield back, Prado grounded out to second base, but it was enough to score Bloomquist from third and put the Diamondbacks on the board.

“During batting practice, I actually put all the situations in my mind so I can execute it in B.P.,” Prado told D-backs broadcasters Greg Schulte and Jeff Munn on the Hot Stove Show Monday night on Arizona Sports 620. “As soon as the game is on, you probably have an idea, because you’ve practiced it. So when that situation is on, hey, I’ve been doing this in batting practice.

“I’ve been doing that for four years and been getting good results.”

Prado, acquired in January from Atlanta in the trade that sent Justin Upton to the Braves, isn’t lying when he talks about those results.

In 2012, Prado hit .301, good for 11th in the National League. Additionally, he only struck out 69 times in 617 at bats, making him the seventh-toughest player to strike out in the senior circuit.

Prado, who had been with the Braves organization since signing as a 17-year-old in 2001, admits being traded to the Diamondbacks was tough initially.

“It was a little difficult for me, but for some reason, the last two years they were talking about trading me — there were a lot of rumors,” Prado said. “I got the idea in my mind like, ‘this is going to happen at some point in my career.’

“I wasn’t totally prepared mentally, but at the same time, I understood. This is a business and I did everything I could to help the team to win and be the best teammate, the best player that I could be there and that’s all I could control. I couldn’t control who was going to trade me and who was not. But I’m happy where I am, I’m in a good spot and I’m looking forward to keep doing what I was doing.”